Taniwha

by Liza Fox

  “Yes, of course I will,” Ben replied, getting out of bed and going up to Toka. “Let’s shake on it,” he said and held out his hand. Toka smiled widely, taking Bens hand in both of his and shaking it gently. “Thank you Ben, thank you. I must go now but I will return tomorrow.” Then he was gone.

  “Hey, where are you?” Ben called quietly, hoping not to wake his parents; but there was no one there. Toka had gone. How had he gone? Ben went to the window and opened it. Daylight was just beginning to break and the air was full with early morning bird song; but there was no Toka.

  ‘I must phone Sam and Sally,’ he thought to himself. Right now he just wanted to go back to bed and sleep off his disturbed night. If Toka wants him to look to his dreams then maybe he could explain last night’s dream. It wasn’t pleasant and he hoped he didn’t have any more like it.

  CHAPTER 10: DICUSSING EVENTS

  Later that morning he finally arose, got dressed and went downstairs. He was just about to pick up the phone to ring Sam and Sally when it rang. Shrill and high pitched in his ear. It made him jump and he quickly picked up the receiver. “Hello, Ben speaking.”

  “Ben, Sam here. Did you get a visitor last night?”

  “Yes, I did,” Ben replied. “It was Toka. He said he’d seen you two.”

  “We need to meet,” said Sam, sounding serious. “Meet us at that outcrop of rocks between our houses. We’ll be there in about half and hour.”

  “Ok,” Ben said and replaced the receiver.

  Soon they were all three sitting against a huge limestone rock, staring out at the early morning light on the sea beyond.

  “Well, what happened to you two last night? You say you both saw Toka?” Ben was eager to hear everything that had happened during the night.

  “Yes, he came to both of us. We both had these strange dreams and then Toka appeared, asking us to help him. He came to us all so it’s not a dream, or our imagination.” Sally appeared to be getting anxious and her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. “What do you think we should do?”

  Sam placed his arm comfortingly round his sister’s shoulder. “It’s ok Sall. Toka holds no bad feelings, I’m sure. I think we should help him.”

  “Well I told him I would and we shook hands on it; but he says he needs the three of us,” said Ben. “I think we should all help. It’ll probably be good fun anyway, being part of his story.”

  Sally had cheered up and agreed to join in whatever it was that was ahead.

  “It’ll be in the school holidays, so it will keep us occupied. We won’t be bored,” Sam said, looking at Sally with amusement.

  “He said he was going to see us all again today sometime, so maybe we’d better keep together for a while, see if he comes. It’s the last day of school on Wednesday, we’ll have lots of time on our hands then.” said Ben.

  “Yes, let’s just carry on and see what happens. We didn’t eat something strange at the stone circle did we? It’s like we’re in our world but in another world as well,” said Sam, with a puzzled expression. “Maybe we’re hallucinating on some weird drug in the processed cheese sandwiches we ate. Or maybe we’re living different lives all the time. I read that we have different existences at the same time. Like the spokes on a wheel.” He burst into laughter, trying to lighten the tension that hung around them.

  “Well,” said Ben. “I don’t know about spokes and wheels of life. I’m going to bed early tonight to have a good sleep. It’s school tomorrow and Summer Solstice is only 5 days away. That’s when it’s all supposed to be happening isn’t it?”

  “I wish Toka would come and explain more,” said Sally. “All this not knowing isn’t good you know.”

  “Let’s go back to our place,” said Sam. “Dad’s got some maps of the Mount that we could have a look at. Just get to know it a bit, where tracks and caves are for instance.”

  “Good idea.” Sally and Ben agreed and they set off for home.

  Once back Sam got out the map that his father had shown him and they studied it for a while.

  “Well, here’s where we are and your house Ben,” Sam said, pointing to their positions by the road, “and here is where the stone circle is.” He pointed to an area higher on the map, not too far away as the crow flies, from the circle in Ben’s garden. The whole map was quite large, showing just how big the Mount actually was.

  “You know that a huge area of the Mount is Karst and limestone marble. It comes in colours, like white, pink and green. It’s very beautiful when it’s polished,” said Sally, drawing from her endless source of bits of information.

  “Here’s where Toka’s hut must be,” said Ben, pointing to an area not far from where the stone circle would be.

  “It’s right in the middle of a large patch of native beech. I wonder if anyone else knows about it. Or about Toka, for that matter?”

  He looked thoughtfully at the map.

  “We should get a copy of this to take with us when we go anywhere on the Mount.”

  The others agreed.

  They studied the map for a while longer. There were a lot of tracks all over the area, although the large forested part at the top seemed to lack them.

  “It gets really high in places, doesn’t it?” said Sally. “Look, it’s over 2000mts here.” She was pointing to an area East of the main roadway. “That’s not far from our houses actually. It must get really steep in places.”

  “Well, let’s hope our forthcoming adventures with Toka won’t have us having to climb up there,” Sam said, with a grin.

  After a while Ben decided to go home. “I think I’ll rest up this afternoon and get some sleep No doubt we’ll catch up soon. Well, according to Toka anyway. We’ll wait and see eh!” He left to walk back home.

  That afternoon he spent watching TV and drifting off into short sleeps.

  He went to bed early, hoping to get a good night’s sleep before school in the morning. Toka hadn’t turned up at all and he was beginning to have doubts about the whole weird thing.

  CHAPTER 11: THE MEETING WITH TOKA

  Sometime during the night he suddenly awoke. He looked at his watch for the time - 1.15. The room was filled with moonlight. An eerie silence pervaded the room. He could hear his breathing and it sounded loud and heavy in his head. He got out of bed and went to the window. Outside the nearly full moon was highlighting everything in a silvery glow. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the moonlight and shapes began appearing.

  Trees and shrubs slowly began to take form. He opened the window and leaned out. It was deathly quiet, not a murmur of anything, not even the sound of air moving. All he could hear was his own breathing and the slight creak of the window as he pushed it open further. The sky was like a flat indigo wall all around, studded with silent, twinkling stars. He could see the Southern Cross high above and the golden orange lights of the towns below. The moon was high, almost full. ‘Just 5 more days to go,’ he thought.

  Something called out. A high pitched screech that made him jump and catch his breath. He couldn’t make out anything in the darkness but he was sure that something had moved. Maybe a possum, or some other wild creature? Another movement! He screwed up his eyes trying to concentrate and focus on what was out there. As his eyes slowly adjusting to the moonlight he could make out a figure standing by the trees that separated the house from the stone circle.

  “Toka, is that you?” he called quietly. The figure moved closer to the house. It was Toka, all cloaked with his hood up and carrying his wooden stick and shoulder bag.

  “Hang on, I’ll come down,” Ben whispered. He quickly pulled on trousers and a jumper, grabbed a pair of shoes and a coat, opened his bedroom door and quietly made his way downstairs to the back door. He slipped outside, put the shoes on and walked to where Toka was standing, almost hidden by the dark foliage.

  “What’s happening? What are you doing here?” Ben was breathless with surprise and anticipation. Toka stood towering above him, seeming even taller in the moonlight. He looked down a
t Ben, his eyes like black holes as his hood shadowed his face.

  “We must go now,” he said in a low voice.

  “Where to?” asked Ben.

  “We must get Sam and Sally. There is important work to be done. Come, my friend.” He started walking, heading toward the hills and Sam and Sally’s place. Ben followed, wrapping his coat tightly around himself to keep out the chill of the night. They both walked in silence until the house appeared, large, dark and still. Toka stood looking up at the windows to Sam and Sally’s rooms. He raised his staff, pointing it to the windows.

  Ben could see the end of it start to glow ever so slightly, light blue, the tip shining bright.

  The windows opened and the faces of Sam and Sally appeared.

  “Is that you Toka?” they whispered.

  “Yes, I’m here as well,” Ben whispered back. “Come down.”

  Their faces disappeared and the windows closed. A couple of minutes later the back door opened and Sam and Sally came through, closing the door silently behind them.

  “What’s this all about?” asked Sam.

  Toka pointed to a hill in the distance.

  “I must talk to you. It is very important that we talk. Will you come with me?”

  The three followed the tall cloaked figure until they reached the hill, about 200 meters from the house. There was a large, rocky area beside a shallow sinkhole. Toka sat down on a rock, laid his staff down and removed his hood.

  CHAPTER 12: THE SEVEN CIRCLES

  “Please sit down,” he said. “I shall explain.”

  The three sat down on the grass, looking at him expectantly.

  “This had better be good,” said Sam.

  Toka smiled and began.

  “When Taniwha took Atanga he had come above ground as Toa, a human. After taking Atanga and returning underground he returned to his Taniwha form. In this form he has remained, prowling and growing strong. He feeds on his misery, growing big and strong on it. This year a full moon falls on the shortest night. This combination of events will give Taniwha the power to surface for 24 hours. We must stop this happening.” He stretched his arm and pointed to the hills.

  “On this mountain there are seven stone circles. The Universe is made up of energies. These energies resonate to different colours. Our bodies are frozen energy and we resonate to these colours. Taniwha has these energies. Seven energies that have intensified over the decades, to the point where now even the stones themselves around the seven circles glow with their colour. We must harness these powers to overcome Taniwha.

  We must go to each circle, underground and on the surface. Together we will form two circles, one above, one below. This will enable us to gather in the energy from its source and add it to our own power. Thus Taniwha looses what we gain and we gain the power to overcome Taniwha for one day and one night. The crucial day and night.”

  Ben piped in. “What happens to us after this? You know. Do we still have this power, this energy?”

  “There will be none left,” replied Toka, with a smile. “It will all be spent by the time the 24 hours is gone.”

  The three stared at him.

  “Will we be all right?” asked Sally, with a worried look.

  Toka took her hand. “Ben will be with me and you, Sam and Sally, will have my staff, which will protect you. Nothing could be worse than Taniwha’s escape from his underworld. This would cause untold damage; but we can overcome him and keep him where he belongs. Before this can happen you must know the circles of energy. They follow the contour of Taniwha and each circle represents an energy area of him. The energy centers go from his tail through to the top of his head.

  The first is in your garden Ben. It is the base of Taniwha, his tail and lower back, grounding him to the earth. When the rocks glow they emit a deep red mist. This is Taniwha’s energy expanding and needing release. It is happening with all the circles, each one emitting a glow and mist the colour of its expanding energy.”

  “Hey, that’s what I saw the other night in our circle. The rocks were giving off a reddish haze.” Ben spoke with excitement.

  “Yes, we’ve seen it as well, from our garden,” said Sally.

  Toka smiled. “You have seen the proof then, my friends. You have witnessed a small part of Taniwha’s energy. The second circle is near where we met. It vibrates to energy of bright orange. You witnessed this on the day we met. You saw the power that the circle possesses. This circle represents Taniwha in the child state. It is there that my mother pushed me through from my hiding place below, to the surface, to protect the land from Taniwha. When she pushed me through she also gave me this staff. It has been charged with magical powers that protect anyone who touches it.

  The third circle lays 2 klms east of the second. It is set on top of a hill, surrounded by three beech trees. It is large and represents Taniwha’s stomach area. This energy circle is the source of his greed and wanting, his hunger and lust. Without it he would shrink to be weak and fragile. This area must be shed of its power. It is hungry now and its pangs can be felt in the land around. This circle resonates to brilliant yellow, dazzling in its brightness; but feeding from a colour much deeper. The yellow becomes burnt and singed as it nears the center of the circle, and looses its radiance; but its power is all consuming for Taniwha and it rules his hunger.

  The fourth circle lays directly north/east and 2 klms away from the third. It is small and set low within shrubs and rocks. It can be distinguished by the burnt center. This circle represents the heart of Taniwha. Cold, black and shriveled, the circle vibrates to deep, dark green. There is painful energy in the colour. Energy that has been tortured through the ages. Tortured by the negative ideals of Taniwha. His jealousy and fear. This energy field will be one of the most difficult to overcome.”

  The three were totally engrossed in Toka’s words as his voice filled the air with its smoothness. They were transfixed as he continued.

  ‘The fifth circle lies North/East of the fourth. It is 2 klms from the fourth, set in a small valley between hills. The circle sits in a sunken area at the base of the hill and the energy that it vibrates to is sky blue. The circle shimmers with this colour as the energy tries to free itself. This is the voice of Taniwha. When he calls the sound shakes the ground around the circle. That is why the ground in the circle is cracked and charred. Some think it is the sound of wind through underground caves; but that is only part. It is the wind of Taniwha’s voice that passes through the tunnels and caves, putting fear into the heart of anyone who hears it. Sound is the energy we must overcome at this circle.

  The sixth circle is the mind of Taniwha. It is 500 meters to the left of the fifth circle and is a very powerful and negative energy. This energy vibrates to deep, dark, indigo blue. It contains centuries of thoughts, memories, sights, sounds, intentions. This circle has a direct link to the seventh, which is 500 meters to the left. The 7th circle is the largest and consists of two rings of stone, instead of one. These circles represent past and future for Taniwha and they resonate to white in the centre, while the outer circle turns violet. The inner circle represents Taniwha’s past and the outer circle his future. These energies combine to make a force that makes him such a danger that must be stopped. From now on, until the longest day, there will be movement on the mountain as he begins to plan his move. People will say they are earthquakes and of course, that is what they are. Earthquakes; caused by Taniwha. The circles’ energies will be intensifying and they will glow brighter as the time draws near.”

  Toka suddenly stood up. “I must take you on a trip,” he said, holding his staff out toward them.

  “A trip!” they exclaimed. “What do you mean?”

  “You must see the circles for yourselves,” he said. “Touch the staff”.

  CHAPTER 13: A VIEW FROM ABOVE

  Ben, Sally and Sam placed a hand each on the wooden stick and found themselves rising. First it was hardly noticeable, just a feeling of lightness. Then they realized that they were actual
ly rising above the ground.

  “You can let go of the staff now,” said Toka. “Just follow me. Think your way and it will be so.”

  It took a while to get used to the fact that they were actually floating, flying and by just thinking about it could move from place to place. Below them were the dark hills and valleys of the top of this small mountain. The twisting roadway looked like a tiny, glowing ribbon in the moonlight, appearing and disappearing. They could also see the glowing circle in Ben’s garden.

  “Wow! Look at that!” Ben exclaimed. “It’s glowing red, look Toka!” His excitement was catching and Sam and Sally turned to call Toka.

  “Yes, my friends. The energy is beginning to be overwhelming and it is trying to expand out, to link up with the other energies from the 6 other circles. On the night of the full moon the colours will grow, joining and forming one huge energy force that will allow Taniwha to break free. Come with me and we shall see the other circles.”

  They all followed Toka as he floated over the Mount, until he stopped and pointed below. The orange glow of the 2nd circle was standing out clearly. It looked like golden syrup had been spilled on the ground, in huge amounts and was now spreading far and wide.

  “You know that circle, now see the next.”

  They continued on until they saw the distant glow of the 3rd circle. It was brilliant yellow.

  “That is Taniwha’s solar plexis, where he stores his strength. His stomach, where he feeds his anger,” Toka said. The circle was glowing like a halo on the ground, the expanding colour creating a huge aura around the central ring, creeping slowly outwards.

  Toka began moving on and they followed, passing over scrub and grassland until again he stopped and pointed. This time it was the dim, dark green glow of the 4th circle. The circle was small but extremely bright, contained in a narrow valley between the hills that rose above it.

  “Here is the circle that represents Taniwha’s heart. Deep, emerald green. It is small and withered but has intense power.”